November 24, 2007
The Patriarchy is Alive and Well
Gregory Mankiw links to the Crimson:
How long does it take to grab a cup of coffee? If you happen to be a woman, plan on adding 20 seconds to your morning ritual. That’s how much longer women wait to get their coffee compared to men, according to a study by Middlebury College economics professor Caitlin Knowles Myers, Myers and five of her students timed 295 transactions at eight Boston-area coffee shops. Her study controlled for complicating factors, including the complexity of the drink order (skinny? soy? 3 percent milk?), the appearance of the customer, and the length of the line. But even after accounting for these factors, women waited about 20 seconds longer.
What do we want? Skinny, half-caf soy Frappuccino® with no whip!
When do we want 'em? NOW!
Odd, I just was at a Seattle's Best Coffee shop in Ithaca NY yesterday and ordered a REGULAR CUP OF JOE. Took roughly 45 seconds to complete the transaction and attractive baristas got all all the change as a tip. A buck plus. Now if I were a woman, would I tip them as much? Do you think this might influence the service? Of course, this is Ithaca and it is a veritable cornucopia of attractive women with ... differing tastes in partners.
Posted by: mdmhvonpa at November 24, 2007 8:39 PMAwesome point, mdmh. I don't know how your Harvard connections are but you should write the good professor. I think it's safe to say -- perhaps anywhere but Harvard -- that women are a little more stingy with the tips.
Posted by: jk at November 25, 2007 11:10 AM | What do you think? [2]